Crane firm fined after operator almost injured

A crane company from the Wirral has been fined following an accident which almost resulted in an employee being injured, highlighting the importance of warning signs.

Rossendale Group, of Portside North on Merseyton Road in Ellesmere Port, was fined £10,000 at Sheffield Magistrates Court as a result of a February 2006 accident during a routine lifting operation, when an anchorage point on a crane failed, causing a 1.8-tonne load to be dropped almost two metres.

Alison Crank, an inspector with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said that it was "extremely fortunate" that there was no death or injury.

"Rossendale Group should have ensured the safety critical anchorage points on the crane had been designed for the typical loading conditions that the crane would experience during routine use," she said.

Meanwhile, HSE inspectors will be visiting sites across London this week in order to ensure that health and safety signs and other workplace precautions are being properly implemented.